


i'm glad i'm here with you

by thatwasanticlimactic



Series: love will do what it does (winter femslash week 2021) [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: ATLA Winter Femslash Week 2021, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Suki (Avatar), Ember Island (Avatar), F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Getting Together, Hair Braiding, Hurt Suki (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Implied/Referenced Violence, Pansexual Ty Lee (Avatar), Pining, Suki (Avatar)-centric, Ty Lee (Avatar)-centric, but i want to be careful, it's not graphic at all, like... they buy watermelons, okay i know the tags make it look angsty and it is but there is also a lot of fluff, repressed trauma, smug Zuko, suki deserves better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29179149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwasanticlimactic/pseuds/thatwasanticlimactic
Summary: Zuko clapped his hands. “Well, if that’s the case then you’ll be glad to hear I have a new assignment for you.”Suki perked up. “Oh. What is it?”“You’re going on vacation!”“Wait what--”“You’ve been working so hard lately, so I decided to give you a break. You and Ty Lee are going to spend a week at Ember Island togetherwith no work, no weapons, and no stress!”“Zuko, I can’t—”“You better start packing because you leave tonight!”[orZuko sees that Suki is stressed and pining so he sends her and Ty Lee on vacation together where they have fun, braid hair, and work through some trauma]
Relationships: Suki/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Series: love will do what it does (winter femslash week 2021) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137812
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16
Collections: Winter ATLA Femslash Week 2021





	i'm glad i'm here with you

**Author's Note:**

> ahhh okay! first, i gotta thank Elle and Brooke for beta reading this especially since i was / am super freaking nervous about this! y'all helped me SO MUCH
> 
> this is for day three of femslash week and includes both prompt options: braids / hair braiding or pining!
> 
> this was a struggle to write and ended up being much longer than i anticipated, but i hope y'all enjoy!

The first time Suki had been to Ember Island, it was during the war. It had the ambiance of a vacation, but it wasn’t _really_ one, not when they were still training and spending every second making sure they weren’t found out for being Team Avatar.

Sure, chilling on the beach had been nice and all— until Zuko decided to do an impromptu training exercise. And the play had been fun— until they got to the end where they all died.

Really, Suki would prefer to go almost anywhere besides Ember Island. More specifically, she’d rather stay at the palace training and working with new Kyoshi Warrior recruits.

But, Zuko had other plans, she supposed.

“You’ve seemed stressed, lately,” he told her after he called her into his office. “Are you doing alright?”

“I’m not stressed!” she replied immediately.

Zuko raised an eyebrow. “A lot of your new warriors are scared of you. I’ve heard a couple complaints that you’ve been extra hard on everyone lately.”

“I just want to make sure you and all your staff are safe, that’s all,” she shrugged, leaning back in her chair. “If they can’t handle it, then maybe they shouldn’t be a warrior.”

“See, that!” exclaimed Zuko, pointing at her. _“That_ is what I’m talking about. That’s not like you. Sure, you’ve always been a hard teacher, but you’re kind and you care a lot about your team. What’s going on?”

Suki blinked a few times in surprise. “I thought you were supposed to be the one who doesn’t know what emotions are.”

“Suki…” sighed Zuko. “I’m just trying to help you figure out what’s wrong. You’re obviously not doing alright and everyone can see it. _None_ of us are doing alright. You’re not the only one.”

“I appreciate the thought, Zuko, but I’m okay. Really.”

Zuko clapped his hands. “Well, if that’s the case then you’ll be glad to hear I have a new assignment for you.”

Suki perked up. “Oh. What is it?”

“You’re going on vacation!”

“Wait what--”

“You’ve been working so hard lately, so I decided to give you a break. You and Ty Lee are going to spend a week at Ember Island together with no work, no weapons, and no stress!”

“Zuko, I can’t—”

“You better start packing because you leave tonight!”

“I need to stay and train the girls—”

“Don’t worry,” smiled Zuko, “everything will be taken care of. I’ve already informed all of the staff and Sokka and Toph will be working with your recruits. And before you ask, yes, he still remembers most of it. Toph forced herself into the position and won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, sorry. All expenses paid plus a little extra spending money. Take the break, you deserve it.”

“This… this is too kind of you, Zuko,” Suki finally said. “I can’t just leave the job for a week.”

“You can and you must. You’re working yourself too hard, Suki. It’s all going to catch up with you,” he told her, his voice soft.

Suki scoffed at Zuko and his dramatics. “Says you. How about this: I’ll take a break this week if _you_ take a break this week, Firelord. I literally guard your door every day, you work just as much as me, if not more.”

For a second there, Suki thought she won. Zuko’s face remained neutral until he bit down on his lip in what looked like an attempt to keep himself from laughing.

“What?”

“I’m so glad you said that, Suki,” Zuko began, “because I am actually leaving tonight as well. Katara and Aang are picking me up and we’re going to spend a week in Ba Sing Se with Uncle.” He smirked, leaning forward. “Sokka and Katara already had this talk with me. If I have to take a break, so do you.”

Suki was aghast, completely unprepared for his response. “Wh— I—What about the Fire Nation?”

“Sokka and Toph have that handled too… I think. I’m actually secretly putting Mai in charge but, uh, please don’t tell them that. It’s just easier if they think they’re ruling the nation.”

Suki wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t want to go to Ember Island, but everything was already taken care of and Zuko had a smug little grin on his face that made her want to punch him. “I— fine. Fine. I’ll go.”

“Not that you had a choice, but I appreciate your cooperation.”

She grimaced, rubbing her temple.

Zuko’s face fell. “Hey,” he said gently, placing a hand on her knee, “it’s okay. We all just want what’s best for you and I think that Ty Lee can help you find whatever that is. It’ll be good for you to get to know her anyways, since she’s a recruit now. I think you two will be great friends.” There was a sparkle in Zuko’s eye, one that Suki couldn’t quite place.

“I already know her well enough. I helped officially train her, remember? We hangout all the time,” she huffed. Not that she minded spending a week with Ty Lee. She liked the girl now that she wasn’t throwing her in prison or trying to kill her or her friends. They had actually grown to become really close friends. She just wanted to be difficult for the sake of being difficult.

“Yeah, but this’ll give you a chance to hang out outside of work. To just relax and have fun. You know, like me and Sokka. I want you to actually have friends to hang out with other than the gang and the girls you’ve known all your life. To branch out. Or whatever.” Zuko paused, then quickly added: “If Uncle’s making me do it this week, then you have to too. Firelord’s rules. No take backs.”

Suki was going to comment on Zuko saying “no take backs” because what are they? Five? But… “You and Sokka are dating.”

“Yes, we are. Am I, the Firelord, not allowed to incorporate my boyfriend into every conversation I have?”

“You’re so dramatic.”

“Oh! Speaking of dramatic—” exclaimed Zuko, spinning his chair around and rummaging through his desk. When he turned back around, he was holding two thin pieces of parchment. “I got you guys tickets to whatever show the Ember Island Players are doing.”

“I thought you hated them?”

“I do, but Ty Lee finds them endearing.”

Suki held back a smile. “Of course she does.”

“Do it for her, then. I know she could use this vacation too.”

“Whatever,” Suki mumbled, rolling her eyes. “Is there anything else you want to spring up on me last minute or can I go pack and let the girls know where I’m going?”

Zuko shook his head, laughing. “No, nothing else.”

Suki stood and made her way to the door. Before she could leave, however, Zuko spoke up again. “Oh, and one more thing. Try spending a night on the beach. It has a special way of smoothing even the most ragged edges.”

So, here she was, sitting on a bed in Zuko’s old beach house in Ember Island after putting everything away. She didn’t bring a lot of stuff with her since she didn’t really have that many, non-weaponry personal items, so it didn’t take her long to unpack.

They had arrived late at night, around 11pm. The sky was dark, decorated with bright stars. But Suki wasn’t tired. She was used to taking late shifts. It had been a long ride. Ty Lee had spent most of it braiding string and Suki had brought a book with the intent of reading. She didn’t make it past the first few pages.

They talked a little bit, mostly about work and how happy they were that Zuko was taking a vacation, but really, it had been mostly Ty Lee telling her about her favorite places in Ember Island and her favorite memories. Suki didn’t mind. She’d rather listen than talk anyways. Besides, she loved listening to her talk.

So, it wasn’t her talking that distracted her from her book. She wasn’t sure what _that_ was.

Ty Lee was in her own room, putting all of her stuff away. Suki could hear her humming through the walls. It wasn’t annoying, but it made her feel even more restless than she already felt.

She was staying in the same room she had all those months ago. Nothing had changed since she left it. The covers were still askew, the window still open a tiny bit. It was so familiar, and yet, she felt so disconnected.

Suddenly, her door flung open and Ty Lee entered her room, walking on her hands. “So, what’d you want to do tonight?” she asked, pushing herself into the air and landing on her feet.

“We literally just got here,” Suki pointed out. “Aren’t you tired or something?”

Ty Lee made a so-so gesture, flopping next to Suki on the bed. “I mean, not really? We were just sitting in a carriage for a couple of hours, I want to walk around or something. My legs are cramped.”

Suki shrugged. “I guess I’m up for a walk.”

Ty Lee beamed, somersaulting off of the bed. “Awesome! Let’s go!”

“Show off,” Suki muttered as she followed her out of the house. But she couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

“So,” Suki said as they began their walk, “why did Zuko make you go on vacation with me?”

Ty Lee stumbled a bit, catching herself immediately. “Oh! Um, to keep you company? I guess? There was no specific reason. I don’t think.” She laughed hastily, scratching the back of her neck. “So, um, you needed a break?”

“No, I didn’t need a break, Zuko _assigned_ me a break,” corrected Suki. “I would still be at the palace right now if I had the choice.”

“Why?” asked Ty Lee.

Suki blinked. “Because that’s my job, and I like my job.”

“Well, yeah, but no one should have to be at work all the time. That’s not fair to anyone, especially yourself,” replied Ty Lee.

“I don’t mind working all the time.”

“Are you maybe working all the time so you don’t have to think about your feeli—”

Suki stopped walking. “Did Zuko put you up to this?” she demanded, shoving her finger in the other girl’s face.

“What? No!”

“Then why all the questions? I thought this was a vacation?”

Ty Lee frowned, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I—you’re my friend. I was just—”

“Worried about me?” she interrupted. “You all have nothing to worry about! I’m fine! I’m having a _great time_ on vacation!” She shook Ty Lee’s hand away. “I’m going to go to bed.” She turned on her heel, marching back to the beach house, fists clenched.

“Suki!” called Ty Lee, desperation coating her voice as she scrambled to catch up. “Wait! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you! Can we still hangout tomorrow? I won’t bring it up again, promise!”

“Fine, whatever. Just… let me go to bed for now, okay?” she snapped back, still walking away from her.

“Yes! No problem!” Ty Lee cheered from behind her. “I’m, um, I’m going to walk for a little while longer. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Suki didn’t respond, just flashed a quick thumbs up.

She was angry, or at least, she thinks she’s angry. She feels out of place without Kyoshi Warrior garb on. Without the makeup, her face is empty and exposed. One thing she did know for certain is that her brain felt about ready to explode. She made it to the house and headed to her room, flicking the lantern in her room off and shutting the door behind her.

Suki groaned, falling backwards onto the bed and dragging a hand across her forehead. In retrospect, she could have been nicer to Ty Lee, and she did feel a little guilty about snapping at her. Much to her surprise, she genuinely enjoyed her company. She was funny and really kind and easy to talk to, and Suki was glad that she had wanted to join the Kyoshi Warriors. She was a fantastic asset and the girls loved her, even if they were a bit intimidated at first.

She kicked her shoes off, not bothering to change out of her clothes. She hated just sitting around and doing nothing. That made it so she had nothing to occupy her mind except…

_A hard bed. Shivering at night. Bruised knuckles from… from…_

_No._

Suki squeezed her eyes shut as she planted her head on one of the many pillows. Whatever. She’d get this week over with and try to have at least a little bit of fun, if only for Ty Lee’s sake. Actually, her job on this “vacation” could be making sure Ty Lee had a good time. To make up for ruining the first night. She cringed into the pillow. Yeah. She _definitely_ ruined tonight. She’ll have to find a way to make it up to her tomorrow.

Ty Lee had sounded so defeated when she stormed off. Suki was angry at herself for making her friend sound that way in the first place. She had just wanted to help, even though there was nothing to be helped.

As much as she hated to admit it, Zuko had made a good point about scaring away the recruits. Suki never meant to upset anyone, she was just… on edge and… she didn’t know. She didn’t know _what_ it was. There was a small part of her hoping that the forced vacation would actually help her relax for a bit, but she wasn’t sure it would. Not when she had to sleep at night and had nothing pertinent to do.

Yeah, it _was_ a good idea. Suki just didn’t know if it would actually work.

* * *

**Day One:**

Suki leaned against the wall of the beach house, wiping sweat from her forehead. “It’s so hot out there,” she complained.

“Of course it is! It’s summer in the Fire Nation, silly,” chirped Ty Lee, covering her mouth with her hand in an attempt to keep from laughing.

She looked Ty Lee up and down. “How are you not sweating?”

“I’ve lived here my whole life, I’m kinda used to it. Why don’t you take a nice cool bath and then we can stay inside the rest of the night? I’ll cook dinner?” Ty Lee suggested, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her off of the wall.

Suki waved her off. “Well, if you’re cooking, sure.”

Over the past few months, the two had somehow coordinated lunch breaks and had been getting lunch together. Every once in a while, though, Suki would need to take a later break depending on recruit training. Ty Lee had surprised her by bringing her homemade food and it was quite possibly the best food Suki had ever eaten.

She apologized to Ty Lee during breakfast that morning. She told her that she had a bad day yesterday which is why she snapped (and it wasn’t _entirely_ a lie, more like a half-truth).

To make matters worse, Ty Lee had apologized to _her._ An apology that she didn’t deserve.

As a way of extending the olive branch, she let the acrobat choose their activity of the day, which happened to be the boardwalk. It was fun, really. Ty Lee found a way to make everything fun.

Between all the hours they spent playing arcade games and trying interesting foods, the heat wore her down. Still, she got pretty into some of the arcade games. Suki spent a good half hour trying to win Ty Lee a stuffed otter penguin. She almost got in a fight with the vendor because he was totally cheating, but he had told her to just “take the otter penguin and leave” before she could start anything which was _probably_ for the best. She still counted that as a win.

And she thought Caldera City was hot.

As stressed as she had been the last time she was at Ember Island, she cherished the bathroom in the beach house. It was big, had an abundance of bath soaps, and the water ran so smoothly. Everyone loved taking baths after training.

The cool water felt wonderful against her tense shoulders. Suki hadn’t even realized how much her shoulders and back ached until now. A part of her was tempted to ask Ty Lee if she could try some chi blocking moves on them to see if it would relieve pain. The thought of it made her silently laugh.

As much as she wanted to stay in the tub, she didn’t want to keep Ty Lee waiting any longer than she had. Besides, she could smell whatever she was making from the bathroom.

“Ah, welcome back,” beamed Ty Lee as Suki entered the kitchen. “I haven’t gone shopping yet, so it’s just dumplings and komodo sausage tonight.”

“That sounds great. Thank you for making dinner,” Suki said, grabbing a plate and piling some food on it. “We can go shopping tomorrow, if you want.”

“Oh! We can go to the market, if you think you can handle the heat,” she giggled, poking Suki in the arm.

“Pfft, I can handle the heat.”

“Mhm, that’s why you spent an hour cooling off in the tub.”

“Oh, hush.” She shook her head, grinning as she sat down across the table from Ty Lee. “The market does sound like a good idea, though.”

“Of course it does, it was _my_ idea,” smirked Ty Lee. “My ideas are great.”

“As much as I want to disagree, you’re not wrong,” Suki complied, taking a bite of one of the dumplings on her plate. “Spirits, this is so good. Why are you not a professional chef or something?”

Ty Lee indicated for her to wait as she swallowed. “Oh, this _is_ good. Better than I expected. I could never be a chef, too dull for me, I think. Going from the circus to hunting the Avatar to being a royal Kyoshi Warrior guard. I’d be too restless,” she answered, shrugging.

“That’s fair,” nodded Suki, taking another bite of her dumpling. “I’m glad you joined us. The girls love you and I cannot tell you how excited everyone was after you taught them chi blocking.”

Ty Lee blushed. “I’m glad I joined too, even if I _did_ come to the revelation in prison, but I’m a lot happier than —”

Suki nearly choked on her dumpling. She coughed, her ears ringing. Everything else Ty Lee said was lost to her. She saw flashes of red, felt the burning of ice…

“S—Su—k—ou—kay?”

As if she had been gifted a new breath of life, she came back. Suki blinked a couple of times, pounding her fist against her chest. “Yeah, I’m fine.” _Lies._ “It just went down the wrong way. Ahh, that was uncomfortable.” She laughed hastily. “I’m fine now.”

Ty Lee’s eyebrows were scrunched, and she looked like she didn’t believe her. Even still, she stood. “I’ll get you some more tea. One second.”

Suki inhaled and then exhaled. Today wasn’t supposed to be about her. It was supposed to be about making her friend happy, allowing her to enjoy her vacation.

“Sorry,” she said as Ty Lee returned and handed her another cup of tea. She took a long sip, it did help soothe her throat a bit.

“Don’t apologize! You can’t help the fact that you almost choked!” replied Ty Lee shaking her head as she sat back down, a strangely fond look on her face. “Uh, is there anything else you want to do tonight?”

“Nothing I can think of? I didn’t get much reading done on the way here, I might try and get a couple of chapters done,” she suggested.

“Oh! If you want to read in the common room, I can make some bracelets!” Ty Lee said. “I want to make one for Azula but she’s so picky about what colors she does and doesn’t like so it’s taking me a little longer than normal and I want her to _really_ like it.”

“O-Oh!” spluttered Suki, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the table leg closest to her. “How’s she doing? You’ve been visiting her a lot, right?” She felt her jaw clench. Weird.

Ty Lee frowned. “She’s doing… better. Still wish she would go to therapy but she claims she doesn’t need it. She’s not 100%, but we’re getting there.”

“It’s really nice of you to help her out like that. I know Zuko appreciates it,” she told Ty Lee, a bitter feeling crawling up her throat as she spoke. She cleared her throat. “Yeah, I’m fine with reading in the common room.”

“Okay, cool!”

Suki spent the rest of the night attempting to decipher the reason why her head was buzzing and why her hands were so clammy. She only managed to read a couple pages of the book.

They headed to bed around 10:30 that night. Suki glanced back at Ty Lee to say goodnight one more time, but the words got caught in her throat. For when she turned her head, she caught a glimpse of Ty Lee grabbing the stuffed otter penguin before the door closed behind her.

She smiled.

* * *

**Day Two:**

It was once again hot outside. Not as bad as the day before, but still annoyingly hot. For a brief moment, Suki considered shaving her head, but then decided against it. She didn’t like being impulsive and prided herself for _not_ being impulsive. Instead, she pulled her hair into a tight bun at the top of her head so her hair wouldn’t tickle her neck like it had yesterday.

They went to the market early in the morning to try and beat the afternoon rush. Since she had been laying low the last time she was here, she never did get to see the market. It was large, but then again, Ember Island was most certainly a tourist attraction.

The market consisted of carts lined on either side of about two streets in length. There were a couple of stands with traditional Fire Nation jewelry and hair pieces too. The aroma was pleasant considering the plethora of food in the area.

“My sisters and I used to come here every summer when we were younger!” Ty Lee said as they entered. She grabbed Suki’s hand and began pulling her through the market. “We always started at the end, I’m not sure why. I think Ty Lao just wanted to be ornery or be in control or whatever, but starting at the front is just weird to me. Family traditions, I guess!”

A couple of vendors shouted greetings to Ty Lee as they ran past, and she used her free hand to wave at them. “I always try and visit my favorite stands when I’m here!” she explained. “The vendors are so sweet, especially the older ones. Some of them gave me samples as a kid so I would always sneak away from my family and go back to sit with them!’

Suki was about to respond when they reached the end of the stands and Ty Lee let out a loud gasp. “You okay?” she asked, looking at her friend curiously.

“Ah! I’m better than okay!” she squealed, tugging her to the right and pointing at a particular stand. “They have watermelons!”

“Yay?”

Ty Lee grabbed her other hand and stood on her tip-toes, shoving her face in Suki’s. “Suki. They have watermelons. The last, like, three times I’ve been here, they were all sold out! Watermelon is _so good,_ have you ever tried it?”

Suki bit her lip and ignored how hot her face and neck suddenly got. “I think maybe once?”

“Okay, you’re missing out.” Ty Lee let go of her right hand and dragged her closer to the stand. “I would like three…” she paused, turning to Suki. “Do you think we should get three or four?”

“Well, it _is_ your vacation. We’ll take four watermelons, please,” she said to the vendor. Suki grabbed the bag from her back and the vendor placed four large watermelons in it while Ty Lee paid.

The two girls simultaneously peered into the bag and then at each other. “We’re gonna need to get a basket,” Suki said.

“Oh yeah,” agreed Ty Lee. “Here, I can carry the bag, if you want!”

Suki waved her away. “I got it. It’ll be good strength training, you know? It’ll work my muscles while we’re vacationing?”

Ty Lee narrowed her eyes. “Didn’t Zuko explicitly tell you that you were supposed to relax?”

“No, he said, and I quote: ‘no work, no weapons, and no stress’. He never said no training,” she corrected, implementing her Zuko voice.

Ty Lee snickered. “That’s a solid 7/10. As much as I wanna give it to you, no one can beat Katara’s Zuko impression.”

“I’ll take it,” she approved.

“And, I think the ‘no training’ was implied when he said ‘no weapons’,” she added, playfully nudging her shoulder. “I’ll let it slide this time only because the basket will probably get as heavy so it would’ve happened anyway.”

Suki slung the bag over her shoulders watching as Ty Lee sprinted and flipped so she was on top of a stand, gazing out over the market to find a place to buy a basket. The mix of annoyed and awed looks of the passersby as she flung herself back into the market and made her way to get the basket in a very Ty Lee fashion was probably the most entertaining thing Suki had seen in awhile.

While she was paying, Suki noticed how bright it was outside and how hot the ground felt even with her shoes on. It sent an uncomfortable twinge down her spine and for a second, she realized how alone she was despite being surrounded by people. It was so familiar, so faintly familiar that her breath started to quicken and she became worried that she wasn’t strong enough to hold the bag anymore because her knees and her back were weak.

_Laughter. Light so bright she thinks she went blind for a second. Pain--_

“Got it!”

The happy voice of Ty Lee brought her out of her head.

She blinked rapidly, and suddenly the sun didn’t seem so bright and the ground didn’t seem so hot. She was… confused.

“I think you broke the crowd,” Suki joked, wearily scratching the back of her neck. She didn’t remember what just happened. That worried her a bit, but that wasn’t important at the moment. No, what was important was making sure Ty Lee had a great day.

“Once a circus freak, always a circus freak,” she shrugged. “Okay, we got my watermelons. Anything in particular you want? Anything you really want for dinner? Zuko gave me a _ton_ of money, soooo, the sky's the limit!”

Suki furrowed her brow as she thought. “Umm, I guess I haven’t had komodo chicken or udon in awhile, so maybe some of that?”

“Alright! I’ll add that to my list.” She tapped her forehead then continued walking, gesturing for Suki to follow. “So, I was thinking we could do fish and, obviously, watermelon tonight?”

She smiled fondly at Ty Lee’s back, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “That sounds great!”

* * *

**Day Three:**

_Everything was red. A violent and glaring red that pierced her eyes, forcing her to cover them ._

_It was loud, unnaturally loud. The sound of metal rubbing against metal filled her ears. And there were voices, men and women yelling at the top of their lungs, shouting themselves hoarse._

_She moved her hands from her eyes to her ears, and had but a split second to prepare for the hit to the face. Suki fell to the ground, having to remove her hands from her ears to catch herself. Her head is spinning and all of the sounds mix together._

_There must be something on the hand that hit her, because she feels warm blood trickling down her cheek. She wipes it away, pushing herself to her feet and catching the next fist that comes her way._

_Suki doesn’t let it go. She tilts her head to see the face of her assailant and it’s blurry. Nothing is clear besides the bright red eyes staring her down._

_Shaking her shock away, she goes to kick her attacker, but a second pair of hands wrap around her waist and pull her away. They drag her kicking and screaming, and they’re cackling, they’re laughing. There are so many of them, more than she thought there were._

_She’s thrown into a room, her head bouncing against the ground, and the door slams shut before she can try to escape. It’s locked, she learns when she tries the handle, and she stumbles, her head pounding. She slumps against the wall._

_That’s when she realizes how cold it is._

_It’s gelid, has to be below freezing. She sees her own breath. The wall she’s leaning against is just as cold, if not colder._

_The feel of the ice against her bare arms reminds her of a time before, a time she didn’t remember experiencing. An arm wrapped around her neck, fingers underneath her chin and… and… agony. It’s agony because there are flames tickling her skin and she can’t move._

_Yes, the ice reminds Suki of that feeling, of burning. It hurts just as much but she can’t cry because she doesn’t want them to make her cry. They don’t deserve to make her cry._

_She tries to peel herself off of the wall but trips on her baggy pant legs. She stumbles to the floor, hitting it on all fours. And she tries to breathe_ — _she tries, she tries! It’s so hard to breathe, though. Her hands sting from the cold and her body feels numb in a pained kind of way where she can’t process any feeling in her body, but knows they’re there._

 _Now there are hands touching her, shaking her and she just wants to be left alone but they persist and she wills herself away, burying her head in her hands until_ —

Suki woke up with a scream. She clutched her chest, breathing ragged. That was… that wasn’t…

“Suki?” An almost timid voice interrupted her thoughts.

She sharply turned her head at the sound, body tense, and then relaxed as soon as she saw that it’s just Ty Lee. It’s just Ty Lee (doesn’t matter that she has to keep repeating that: it’s just Ty Lee). “Oh, Ty Lee,” she says, her voice strained and at an octave much too high. Clumsily, she props herself up on her elbows. “What’s going on?”

She gulped, watching as Ty Lee cautiously sits down on her bed by her feet. “I don’t know. I was hoping you could maybe tell me?” she responded, her gaze never wavering.

Suki planted her palms on the mattress and attempted to push herself into a more relaxed sitting position, but her arms suddenly felt weak and it took her longer than she had thought. It was uncomfortable, struggling with Ty Lee watching her. “I think I just had a really weird dream,” she replied, doing her best to sound nonchalant. “Yeah, really weird.”

“You were hyperventilating in your sleep,” Ty Lee deadpanned, glaring at her. “You looked terrified.”

“Well, what were you doing in my room, then?” snapped Suki, leaning against the headboard and crossing her arms (she realized she’d been doing a lot of that lately, crossing her arms. It had become instinctive any time someone tried to come at her). “Because me breathing loudly isn’t loud enough for you to hear across the hall.”

“It’s 10:30 in the morning. You never sleep in this late. I just came to check on you,” she shot, her voice rising in volume. “Your aura was dark and cold when I came in and—”

Suki cut her off with a laugh, a sardonic and exhausted kind of laugh (if what Ty Lee said was true and she slept that late, why did she feel so tired?). “I don’t give a flying feather about what color my _aura_ is. It doesn’t matter! I just had a really weird dream and waking up to you standing over me was unsettling. Maybe don’t do that to people.”

A part of her felt bad for lashing out at someone she would consider one of her best friends. She knew that Ty Lee meant no harm, really, she did. But… there was something prickling at the back of her mind, something her nigh— _dream_ had done and it was agitating, like a constant buzz in her ear and she couldn’t even think about anything else right now. She just wanted to lay back down and shove a pillow over her face.

Ty Lee scoffed, shaking her head. “You know, you can scare everyone else off with your bad attitude and mood swings, but I put up with a lot from Azula, Zuko, and Mai and I have six sisters. I don’t get scared off that easily. So cut it out and let me help you because you’re obviously struggling but you won’t talk about it to anyone! Not me, not Sokka! There’s a reason I suggested Zuko should send you on vacation! You’ve been crappy to everyone who loves you and I thought it’d be good if you get away for awhile. I didn’t know he was going to send me along, but I thought that maybe, _just maybe,_ you’d let me in! If you’re not going to tell me what’s wrong, can you at least let me take care of you for once?”

It was incredibly rare for Ty Lee to raise her voice in anger, in fact, in the months that Suki had known her, she had never heard her scream at anyone. But now, Ty Lee’s face was red with frustration and the sound of her voice actually made her flinch away.

They sat in silence for a couple minutes, Ty Lee’s chest heaving and Suki’s body trembling. Ty Lee took a couple of calculated deep breaths, moving her body as she did so. “What I was trying to say, Suki, is that I care about you,” she continued, much calmer now, tone soft and gentle. “This vacation was for you and every time I thought that maybe you were having even a little bit of fun you… I don’t know. Something happened.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. _In… and out…_

“Don’t be,” her friend stated firmly. “I’m not going to make you talk about it now, but you're shaking. Is there anything I can do to help you? What helps you relax?”

“Hitting things,” she supplied, sniffing.

“Hmm, well, we’re not gonna do that since I don’t think that’s _actually_ been helping you. Um, oh!” Her face lit up and crawled a bit closer to Suki. “Here, let me braid your hair for you.”

Suki blinked at her. “Why?”

“Because, silly, the feeling of someone playing with your hair is so calming and it’s so nice! Has anyone ever done your hair before?”

“Not in awhile.”

“Well, are you okay with me touching your head? I think you’ll like it. You just have to sit there and let me do all the hard work,” asked Ty Lee.

Suki thought for a minute. Her hair wasn’t _that_ long, it’s not like it would take awhile, right? “I— Okay. Sure.”

Ty Lee clapped her hands. “Great!” She scooted so that she was right in front of Suki. “Okay, I just need you to turn around for me. Close your eyes, let yourself go. If you want to talk, you can talk. But I’m not gonna make you.”

Suki complied, hesitantly turning around. She didn't like having her back to people, and she knew that Ty Lee wasn’t about to stab her or anything, but it was still kind of difficult to just let go of her surroundings and succumb to the promises of another person.

It began with Ty Lee running her fingers through her hair, brushing it out. “You’re tense. Relax your shoulders. Remember, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Suki tried, really, she did. It was like she couldn’t get her shoulders to cooperate. It hurt more than anything. “I can’t.”

“That’s okay.”

She wondered what would happen if she told Ty Lee about her nightmare. She imagined she would feel more free. Ty Lee was always so open about the way she felt. Suki remembered nights where the acrobat would show up at her bedroom door or station and just sit with her, telling her about her nightmare, her regrets. She talked a lot about how upset she was that she didn’t realize she was on the wrong side of the war. She always looked… lighter after talking about it.

Suki wanted to talk to her about it— she’d been wanting to for awhile, actually— but acknowledging would make it real and she didn't want it to be real.

Ty Lee finished brushing through her hair and began splitting it off in chunks.

Suki had to admit, the feeling was much more pleasant than she had anticipated. She found that she wasn’t relaxed enough to lean into the touch, but she felt like she was more in control of her mind. And somehow— _somehow_ — for the first time since before she got involved with the war, she knew that she was safe.

“I had a nightmare,” she murmured. “And I’m… I’m not sure what it was about.”

“What do you remember?” asked Ty Lee. “If you feel up to it, tell me about the nightmare and maybe we can figure it out together.”

Suki focused on the movement of Ty Lee’s hands. “It was red. And loud. There were a lot of people yelling.”

“Okay. That’s good.”

“And someone… hit me and they dragged me away.” She scrunched her face as she thought. “They threw me somewhere and it was… it was really cold.” She shuddered. “I couldn’t feel anything and no matter what I did I was still cold. I thought I was going to die.”

Ty Lee’s fingers faltered in her hair. “Suki, do you think that might have been a memory?”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Do you think…” Ty Lee trailed off, pausing to gather herself, it seemed. “Do you think it was a memory from your time at Boiling Rock? That… it sounded like the cooler. But they only put firebenders in there…”

Suki gasped, lurching forward, wrapping her head in her hands as suddenly everything began flashing back to her at the words ‘Boiling Rock’.

_There’s a fight, one of the guards pushes her so she pushes him back, she isn’t going to take any of their crap and she doesn’t need a weapon to stand up for herself._

_A punch is thrown._

_She blocks it._

“Suki—”

 _Someone grabs her_ — _pulling her off of whoever she’s on top of. “Look, this is a warning. Do as you're told and everything’ll be fine. Know your place, Earth brat.”_

 _Lines. Red uniforms. The sweltering heat of the sun_ — _it’s so hot outside._

“The uniforms— they were,” she gulped, “they were stuffy and cotton or something.”

_Sweat stains. Isolation. Days and days of begging the Spirits for freedom._

_She sees a chance, so she takes it._

_No one is around. She makes a run for it. She doesn’t know how she’ll get off the island, but that isn’t important. She could easily break into a gondola._

_She was so close. So, so close._

“Suki, are you—”

_They found her. Someone ratted her out for extra snacks. “What’re we doing with her?” one guard asks._

_“I say we throw her in the cooler, that’s what we’d do to any of these other low-lifes.”_

_“She ain’t a firebender, though.”_

_“Yeah, but she tried an escape. That’s the punishment for escaping. A couple hours in the cooler. Besides, this one has been trouble before.”_

_“Yeah, I think she’s with the Avatar too.”_

_“Again, she ain’t a firebender, she won’t survive a couple hours.”_

_“She’ll be an example, then. For all the other nonbenders. Five minutes or so.”_

_They’re holding her by the waist, forcing her along and she fights back_ — _hard. It doesn’t work. She’s outnumbered, tired._

_They throw her in the cooler. She hits her head._

_It’s so cold. So cold. She thinks she’s going to die in here. She bangs on the door a couple of times before her skin breaks._

_She’s so cold._

“Suki—”

She screamed. “They— they threw me in the cooler for trying to escape,” she yelled, digging her fingernails into her skull. “I’m not a firebender I—”

“Hey, hey, shh. Deep breaths, come on. Do it with me. In— that’s right— and out. Yeah, just like that. Can you do it again? With me, okay. In… out. Good job.”

She felt Ty Lee’s strong arms wrap around her, her hair long abandoned. She wanted to protest, but Suki found she didn’t have the energy. Instead, she just leaned her head back against Ty Lee’s shoulder, trying to remember to breathe like she had said.

“I forgot they did that,” she mumbled.

“I don’t blame you,” said Ty Lee. “Boiling Rock is… a terrible place. I didn’t even get sent there. I was just in a regular cell with the Kyoshi girls. Is that why you’ve been pushing yourself so hard? So you don’t have to remember?”

“Probably.” Her shaking hadn't gotten any better since her realization. “I-I’m shaking.”

“Are you cold?”

“No. I don’t think so.”

“You need something to soothe your nerves. Umm… have you ever braided hair before?”

Suki shifted her head to glance up at Ty Lee. “A couple of times, why?”

“Here.” Ty Lee carefully pushed Suki off of her, helping reposition her so she was leaning against the wall. She then turned around so her back was to Suki. “Undo my hair and then braid it.”

“Why?” Suki questioned.

“So your hands have something to do, a task they need to focus on. It might help with the shaking a little. It doesn’t have to be perfect or any good, I don’t care how it looks. Just let your hands go through the motions.”

So, Suki sat up straighter, using a hand to balance herself, then fumbled with Ty Lee’s long braid, grabbing it and then watching as it slipped from her hands. It took her a second, but she finally got it. She undid the fabric at the end of her hair, setting it down next to her on the bed. She slowly made her way up the braid, undoing each section with precision. Ty Lee was right, it did make her feel some level of concentration and dedication.

“Okay, great. Now focus on the motion of your hands as you braid, let them move you,” Ty Lee piped up when Suki finished, her long hair cascading down her back and onto the bed sheets. “I know I have a lot of hair, so if you feel like you want to stop halfway through or something, that’s okay.”

Suki nodded rather than responding verbally. She bit her lip, trying to make her hands still enough to split her hair into three even sections.

At one point during her struggle, Ty Lee turned her head and flashed her a warm, encouraging smile.

Suki felt all of her hair leave her hands. She scrambled to sort them again, trying to ignore the blush creeping up her neck.

There were only a couple of times in her life when someone else braided her hair. She never realized how… intimate that could be. And she never expected for Ty Lee to turn around and smile at her like she was the most important thing in the world. No, she never expected that or the butterflies that found their way into her stomach.

Now was as horrible a time as any to come to the sudden realization that Ty Lee was the most beautiful person she had ever seen in her entire life.

She gave a small smile in response, thanking the Spirits when she eventually turned back around.

Her head spun. Last night she had just been hanging out with best friend Ty Lee, now she was mentally processing her time at Boiling Rock and the fact that she’s definitely in love with Ty Lee.

Wait… where did _that_ come from?

(It came from Ty Lee’s face squished against hers at the market, Ty Lee bringing her food during her longer shifts, that warm feeling that buzzed throughout her body when they touched, the late nights they spent together patrolling the palace and walking through the garden. It came from the way Ty Lee lit up a room and how she was always able to make her laugh. From that gooey feeling in her heart whenever she saw Ty Lee best everyone in the palace during sparring or teaching her girls how to chi block. It came from how she was always happiest when Ty Lee was around, how she always pushed her to be a better person, how she cared so deeply for everyone…)

Maybe they had been there the past few months, she just didn’t realize they were there.

Eventually, she got into the motion of braiding Ty Lee’s hair. The pattern of _over, under, over, under, over, under…_ helped her sort through her thoughts.

These feelings certainly weren’t new. It took her a second, but she wasn’t really that surprised. Loving Ty Lee had come naturally to her over the past few months.

_Over, under, over…_

Maybe that’s why she didn’t like to sleep at night, because when she let herself sleep, she remembered and she didn’t _want_ to remember. Who would?

_Under, over, under…_

No wonder she always caught herself staring at the acrobat. She always just assumed that she had stared off into space, but maybe it was more that.

_Over, under, over…_

How much of Boiling Rock did she block from her memories? How much time was she missing?

Suki was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t realize she had reached the end of Ty Lee’s hair until she placed a hand on top of hers. “Your hands aren’t shaking as much anymore.”

“I guess that did help. You’re really smart.” Spirits, and she thought _Sokka_ was bad at flirting. That was almost as bad as anything he ever said to Zuko.

Ty Lee rolled her eyes. “Eh, not really. I just have a lot of built up energy so I’ve had to find ways to expel it before.” She cocked her head. “Hey, you okay? I mean, you’re probably _not_ okay, but...”

Suki shook her head. “No, it’s— I’m just trying to process. That was a lot at once. I don’t know where to start.” That was a lie. She wanted to start with Ty Lee. She wanted to spend hours laying in her bed and trying to figure out what to do from here. _Should_ she do anything?

Ty Lee bit her lip. “Um, now may not be the best time, but... I won’t be able to go about the rest of my day without— I’m sorry.”

Suki quizzically tilted her head. “Why are you sorry? You just helped me?” _And made everything so much worse. Or was that better?_

She drew her hand back to her side, and Suki immediately found herself missing the contact. Her hand was cold again. “I was thinking and… _I_ put you in Boi — in prison. Like, I fought you and captured you and none of that would’ve happened to you if it weren’t for _me,”_ she rambled, fidgeting with her hands in her lap.

“Ty Lee, it’s—”

“No, don’t,” she interrupted firmly. “This isn’t about me and how guilty I may or may not feel. I don’t want to turn this into ‘poor Ty Lee, she feels bad’ or anything like that. That just makes it harder to process trauma. I just… I want you to know that if I could go back to that moment, I would help you.” Her eyes were wide and sincere. “If I could do it differently, I would.”

 _I love you,_ Suki wanted to say.

But she couldn’t. Not yet, not now. Not when she still didn’t really understand what this feeling inside of her was.

“I know.”

* * *

**Day Four:**

Suki woke up around the same time she did the day before. Exhausted, she ran a hand over her face, groaning as she sat up.

Yesterday had been exhausting: mentally, physically, and emotionally. For most of the day, she felt as if someone had punched her feelings, dramatic as that sounded (and Spirits, first she was turning into Sokka with the terrible flirting and now she was turning into Zuko with the dramatics. Maybe he was right when he said she needed more friends).

They didn’t do anything yesterday. In fact, they never even left the house. Most of their time was spent in the room Suki was staying in. She smiled fondly as she thought back to the day before. She had been laying on the floor and Ty Lee had been doing a handstand against the wall while she read Suki’s book out loud to her.

That was her third time trying to read that book. She still had no idea what it was about because all she could think about was the sound of Ty Lee’s voice. She read with such raw emotion that the words meant nothing to her.

Suki yawned, stretching her arms as she slid out of bed. When she opened the door, she was met with the sound of humming. She walked around the corner and saw Ty Lee in the kitchen.

Yup. There was Ty Lee. In the kitchen. With her hair down.

She swore her heart missed a beat.

She cleared her throat, ignoring the way her world melted when she saw Ty Lee’s grin. “Hope I didn’t leave you by yourself for too long.”

“Nah. I woke up a half hour ago. No biggie!”

“Good. Good. I’m glad.” Suki cleared her throat again, if only to shake herself out of whatever daze she was in. “So, anything you wanted to do today?” she asked, leaning against the counter.

Ty Lee paused whatever she was in the middle of making. “Not really. I’m fine with another day inside, if you want.”

When Suki really thought about it, she did kind of just want another day with just her and Ty Lee inside hanging out. She did a lot of processing yesterday and she knows there’s still more to process. “I’m down,” she replied.

“Cool! I brought a couple of games, if you wanted to play any, and I figured maybe we could do some yoga together this morning? If you want to, that is. I know yoga isn’t for anyone, but I thought it might help your muscles relax.”

How was Ty Lee so thoughtful and kind after she spent the past couple days lashing out at her?

“I can try some yoga. No promises I’ll be as good as you, though,” she replied.

Ty Lee waved her off. “Yeah, yeah. Give yourself a chance first.” She turned, about to continue cooking, but she had barely moved before she said, “Oh!”

Suki raised a brow as Ty Lee set whatever she was doing down and ran into her room. She came back out a second later. “I made this for you a couple nights ago. I was going to give it to you later, but I figured you’d like it now!”

She opened her hand, and Suki knew that if anything were to make her cry during this vacation, it would be the object sitting in her palm.

Cautiously, she reached out and grabbed it from Ty Lee. It was one of the bracelets she had been weaving throughout the week. It was four colors: olive green, bright red, white, and a soft pink. All the colors were braided together in an intricate pattern that was really pleasing to look at. “Oh, it’s beautiful. Thank you.”

Ty Lee pointed at the olive green. “See, the green is for you because Earth Kingdom and Avatar Kyoshi. And the red is for me because Fire Nation, right? Then the white and the pink are the colors of the lotus flower! Well, the pink lotus, but that’s because it’s my favorite shade. You know, it represents purity and some other things but, I thought now would be a good time to give it to you because it also represents peace.”

Something Suki had known about Ty Lee was that she spoke with her hands, always moving and pointing and as her voice fluctuated or as she emphasized points. She had always found it endearing. Now, it was more adorable than anything.

“I figured you’d like a reminder, to help you feel more peaceful in the moment,” she added. “And that it would remind you that I love and care about you.”

_“…that I love… you”_

This might be the most meaningful gift she’s ever been given. “Ty Lee… thank you. Seriously, _thank you._ This is so thoughtful.”

“You deserve it.” Ty Lee swallowed _._ “I’m really glad you like it.”

Suki nodded, not entirely hearing Ty Lee. She was mesmerized by the colors, by the thought, by _“…I love… you”._

“I’m never going to take this off,” she said in a joking tone, but really, she meant it. “Actually, I think I’ll tie it around my ankle. That way I can still feel it, but it won’t get caught up in anything like washing my hands or training.”

“And you said I was the smart one,” giggled Ty Lee.

“Oh, you _are_ the smart one. I just have more brain cells.”

“How does that work?”

“The fact that you have to ask further proves my point that you’re the smart one.”

The two girls shared a look before bursting into a shared laughter. Ty Lee’s hand fell on Suki’s shoulder and it felt so right— so natural.

“Here, I’ll put this on now.” Suki fell into a squat and tied the string around her ankle. She smiled happily once it was on tight.

She stood up, sticking her ankle out for them to see. “Perfect,” she said.

Yeah, she wasn’t joking. She would never take this off.

* * *

**Day Five:**

“I promise this won’t be that bad!” assured Ty Lee, once more holding Suki’s hand and dragging her around the city.

“Yeah, that’s what we thought _last time,”_ Suki told her, doing her best to keep up with Ty Lee.

“Pfft, that’s because it was about you guys! Of course it wasn’t good because the Fire Nation wrote it. But this one will be!”

“How do you know that?” continued Suki, making sure to keep her voice light so Ty Lee knew she was joking.

“Because, silly, my sister is in it and she’s good… most of the time,” explained the acrobat. “Anyways, she said she’s excited for this one, so I’m gonna trust her.”

It was night on Ember Island, a lot cooler than it had been during the day. Ty Lee insisted on dressing up at least a little for the Ember Island Players production they would be seeing for the night. Both girls had their hair braided and were bearing more formal wear.

The group was doing some show called _Rhinoceros in Love_ . Suki didn’t want to say her expectations were low, but after _The Boy in the Iceberg,_ she wasn’t going to get her hopes up.

But Zuko was right— seeing Ty Lee this excited was more than enough.

“It’s a love story, I think?” she was saying, and Suki fondly noted that her free hand was moving as she spoke. “Ty Lat said she was playing a character named Lili? There’s also drama and a kidnapping but that’s all I can give you.”

“That’s alright,” Suki said. “We’ll learn more in about fifteen minutes.”

“Good point.”

They showed the usher their tickets and began to head inside. It was the same as Suki remembered, just with different posters. She had to admit, this one _did_ look a bit more promising. “I was planning on getting some fire flakes,” Suki told Ty Lee when she saw the snack stand. “Want anything?”

“Well, if Zuko’s paying, I’ll take some fire gummies,” she chirped.

Suki rolled her eyes and let go of her hand (she didn’t _want_ to let go), walking towards the snack stand. She was originally just going to get the fire flake and fire gummies, but Zuko _was_ paying so she grabbed some cookies and rice candy as well.

As she was heading back to Ty Lee, all she could think about is how much she wanted to hold her hand again, but carrying their snacks prevented it. Which was upsetting until she figured out a different way they could hold onto each other.

Suki shifted the snacks so they were all balancing on one arm, and slid her free arm through Ty Lee’s elbow. “You ready for the show?”

“I am,” replied Ty Lee in an overly fancy voice.

The show wasn’t _bad;_ Suki thought the writing was fine. It was the acting that could use some work. But she didn’t mind. It could’ve been a lot worse than it was.

Ty Lee was a great audience member. She laughed at the appropriate times, cried, and seemed genuinely invested in the plot. 

If Suki were being honest, she watched Ty Lee more than the show.

* * *

**Day Six:**

It was their last night on Ember Island.

They wandered around the city earlier today, people-watching and doing various activities, whatever seemed fun.

Once they got bored of walking around, Ty Lee suggested going to the beach and just relaxing there. They laid in the sand talking for a couple hours, which was nice. A couple of guys hit on Ty Lee, which _wasn’t_ nice, but she made disgusted faces behind their backs after they left, so that made Suki feel a little better.

Eventually, they joined in a couple of beach games and absolutely killed it. No one stood a chance against them, even if they were outnumbered.

They actually worked really well together. She had known that for a couple of months now, what with training together and all, but it meant more to her now that she realized her feelings. It was kind of poetic, how well they worked together even outside of battle.

It was during a game when Suki thought that there might be a chance Ty Lee liked her too. It was a look she wasn’t supposed to have seen— a quick look of pure adoration and love after Suki managed to score a point. There one moment, gone the next, but Suki had seen it.

No one had ever looked at her that way, not even Sokka during the brief period of time when they dated, and that’s saying something since he looked at her like she was the best thing in the entire world (he still does now too, just more in a platonic kinda way.) It always warmed her heart, but this look did more than that— this one moment, this glance made everything come together. Every piece of herself— her heart and her brain— they finally understood what it meant to be cared for and cherished and seen and—

She almost missed the ball that was whirling in her direction, just barely managing to hit it over the net in time.

Sappy as it sounded even to herself, Suki felt her heart skip a beat and her confidence rising because maybe this wasn’t a fluke, a one-time thing. Maybe this was the real thing. That thing that Aang and Katara found, that Zuko and Sokka found. Maybe _this_ was what she was waiting for, what she needed to understand.

Naturally, they won that game too.

When night fell, they were the only two left on the beach.

They were sitting on the beach chairs they brought with them, surrounding a fire Suki had made (she may not be a bender, but she did know how to survive in the wild). It was during the short period of time she was building the fire that Suki made the decision. She may be scared of her feelings, but she wasn’t scared of Ty Lee. She glanced up from her spot on the ground, giving her arms a rest for a second. Ty Lee was on her way back from the house, having stopped to get the watermelon they had cut that morning.

Suki found that she couldn’t hate the giddy feeling she got when Ty Lee sat back down on her log, and she never felt giddy.

“Hey, throw me a piece, would ya?” she called, getting back to work at starting the fire.

“If you don’t catch it with your mouth, I will be disappointed!” Ty Lee challenged, a brow raised.

“Oh, please. How else would I catch it?” she smirked.

Ty Lee wasted no time in throwing a piece of watermelon in her direction. She had an impeccably good aim, and Suki figured Mai must have rubbed off on her a bit with her knife-throwing and all, so all Suki had to do was tilt her chin up and open her mouth to catch it.

As if on cue, the fire came to life at that very moment.

The acrobat cheered, letting out a painfully shrill whistle and clapping her hands.

“Thank you, thank you,” Suki said, bowing. “I’ll be here all night!”

Ty Lee threw another piece of watermelon her way, one she caught with her hands this time, as she sat down on a log across from her friend.

“I’m kinda sad we have to go back tomorrow,” Ty Lee said dejectedly, kicking the sand with her feet. “I’ve had a lot of fun.”

Suki nodded in agreement, trying to focus on anything besides the way Ty Lee looked in the glow of the fire. “I wasn’t looking forward to the trip but… I’m glad I came. I like spending time with you.”

“Has the…” Ty Lee paused, scrunching her face in contemplation. “Has this been helpful? I know you don’t really want to talk about it and all, but we were worried about you— _I_ was worried about you.”

“It has been,” she replied truthfully. Suki took a deep breath. “For a couple reasons, actually. I guess—” she ran a hand through her hair, “—I guess I’d been trying to suppress what happened at Boiling Rock. And I subconsciously thought that I would be happier if I didn’t remember any of it. And I guess while I was repressing those memories, I was repressing my feelings too.... my feelings for you.”

Ty Lee’s eyes widened. “Suki,” she started, and it was one of those rare moments when her tone was unreadable, “ you have feelings for me?”

If Suki had taken a second, she might have heard the way the pitch of her voice became excited. But she was already up and pacing the length of the log, too in the moment to fully process anything she just heard. “I think I’ve liked you for awhile now, I just didn’t realize it until a couple days ago and I’m not… I’m not good with feelings. Talking about them or having them.” She halted, stopping right in front of the fire. Suki grimaced for a second. She was brave. She could do this. So she forced herself to look Ty Lee in the eye. She could see her better from here— could see the flames illuminated in her brown eyes. She was radiant.

She exhaled, continuing: “But I’m pretty sure of these feelings for you. They’re romantic ones. And I know now that I’m a mess, and have a lot to work out but you’ve been so good to me this week and you have the right to know.”

That was a lot. Just like everything else this week. But the thoughts had been an itch on her skin. It was a sudden revelation, but one she knew had been brewing for a while.

She felt Ty Lee before she saw her.

Before Suki had a chance to process, Ty Lee’s arms were wrapped tight around her, their foreheads pressed together. “I have feelings for you too, silly! You beat me to it— I was going to tell you before we left, I just didn’t want to overwhelm you after the other day,” she told her, squeezing hard.

Suki chuckled, relieved and so overwhelmingly happy. “You’re too good to me.”

Another squeeze was sent her way, but Suki didn’t mind. It was grounding. Besides, she could take it. “No, I just try to give you what you deserve.”

She wasn’t sure what that was yet, what she deserved. But she knew what Ty Lee deserved. “Tomorrow’s our last day before we go back to work. You’ve been taking me on platonic dates all week. Let me take you on a real date before we leave. I’ll pay.”

“And by that, you mean Zuko’s paying, right?”

“Don’t ruin the moment by mentioning Zuko!” she teased, snorting. Suki could feel Ty Lee’s body shaking with laughter against hers, so she pulled away just slightly, so her arms were gripping Ty Lee’s forearms. “So, is that a yes? Will you go on a date with me tomorrow?”

Ty Lee’s gaze drifted away, as if she had to think first, which was simultaneously adorable yet somewhat daunting. “Mmm would you mind if I answered that with a kiss? Cause I’ve been tempted to kiss you all week but didn’t want to invade your privacy and—”

Suki surged forward while Ty Lee was still rambling.

The acrobat didn’t hesitate to kiss back.

It was messy, the way a first kiss usually is when you aren’t sure how your bodies fit into each other or what position of the mouth is most comfortable. But it was also perfect in a messy and genuine sort of way. She could taste the watermelon Ty Lee ate as a snack just a few minutes earlier. “I would say you talk too much, but I like the sound of your voice,” she murmured once they broke apart (even that was something so personal, so magical. It happened so naturally). “So, is that a yes, then?”

“That may be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” Ty Lee replied, her eyes shining. She stood on her tiptoes and gave Suki a peck on the nose. “That is a yes, by the way, silly.”

* * *

**Day Seven:**

It was a bright light shining on her face that woke her up. Groggily, she opened her eyes, squinting at the source of disruption.

She forgot to pull the curtains down, she noticed, for the sun was shining directly at it.

She groaned, knowing that if she wanted to sleep more, she would have to get up and close them. Oh, but she was so comfortable. Actually, she realized, this was the first night in… a long time that she didn’t have a nightmare or a fitful sleep. She actually slept well.

Yawning, she was about to make the inevitable roll out of comfort to close the blinds, but before she could fully roll to her side, she realized there was something wrapped around her. Someone, actually. Ty Lee, to be specific.

Everything from the previous night came back to her— her admission, Ty Lee’s reciprocating feelings, holding hands like a couple would as they stumbled back into the beach house late at night, Suki insisting that they cuddle because she knew Ty Lee was a cuddler, falling asleep in her embrace.

Remembrance brought a rush of joy, a sudden spark of giddiness. It was real.

Suki shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut and then reopening them in hopes of getting them adjusted to the light so she could see clearly. She had one arm draped across Ty Lee’s wasit, her hand on the wrong side of the bed. Ty Lee had one arm wrapped around her waist and the other clutching the stuffed otter penguin Suki had won her. She giggled silently. She very vaguely remembered stopping to grab it before coming to her room. Their legs were all tangled together, and since she wasn’t super coherent right now, she had trouble figuring out whose legs were whose.

Ty Lee’s head was resting on her shoulder, and Suki noted that the girl even slept with a smile on her face. She looked so peaceful.

Suddenly, the light shining in from the window was fine. A couple of rays of sun meant nothing to her compared to what she was experiencing in this very moment, this happiness and contentment. It was so pure, so authentic and _real._

She adjusted her head so it was lying beside Ty Lee’s, their foreheads touching once more and settled back into her covers.

Her last thought before falling back into a happy and nightmare-less sleep was _wow, Zuko was right about the beach._

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading:)
> 
> hope y'all liked the obligatory zukka!
> 
> romance is NOT my best genre of writing, so this was kind of hard for me to write? but in the end, i'm proud of how it turned out even if it's not my best piece ever! day five... ooooh day five was evil and i hated it.
> 
> the play i referenced is a real Chinese play! i didn't talk too much about the play because i couldn't find any good / in-depth summary on it online and i didn't want to say something wrong??? but it look interesting and i would honestly be down to read it!
> 
> i'm that-was-anticlimactic on tumblr if you ever want to scream about Suki trauma, Suki appreciation, or anything else:)


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